Jannik Sinner beats Alexander Zverev to reach first Indian Wells final | ATP Tour
match report
Sinner beats Zverev to reach first Indian Wells final
The world No. 2 will battle Alkaraz or Medvedev for the ATP Masters 1000 crown
March 14, 2026
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Yannik Sinner takes on Alexander Zverev in Indian Wells on Saturday.
Andy West
Jannik Sinner effortlessly crossed the line between California and the desert at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday.
The PIF ATP No. 2 player defeated fourth seed Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals of the ATP Masters 1000 event. Sinner fell to the semi-finals in each of his past two matches at Indian Wells, but he put in an all-around performance to win his sixth consecutive victory over Zverev and make his first championship appearance in “tennis heaven.”
All gas, no rest 😤@janniksin Defeat Zverev 6-2, 6-4 and reach the Indian Wells final for the first time! @BNPPARIBASOPEN | #tennisparadise pic.twitter.com/wLYgPphmMf
— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 14, 2026
“It’s a great achievement. Being in the finals for the first time, it means a lot to me,” Sinner said. “I’m playing a semi-final here for the third time, so I’m very happy about it… Now let’s see what happens next. Of course, the next one will be a very difficult test, but I’m very happy. This week, this game we improved and that’s the most important part for me.
“The performance from my side was very good. I felt that Sasha didn’t play very well today. I broke him a few times in the first set, which gave me the confidence to continue the game, and my serve was also good in important moments. I’m happy.”
After reaching his sixth final in his last seven Masters 1000 appearances, the 24-year-old Sinner will face world number one Carlos Alcaraz or Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s final. The Italian lost to his great Lexus ATP Head2Head opponent Alcaraz in both the 2023 and 2024 Indian Wells semi-finals.
Zverev started Saturday’s semifinals with confidence. The German won the first eight points on serve, but that calm soon evaporated as Sinner took a back-server position to ensure he was in the match. The Italian got break points with a score of 30/40 in the fifth and seventh games. Zverev missed the ball with two forehands, allowing his opponent to break serve. In the eighth game, Sinner quickly won the set and was only four points behind on serve.
In an attempt to halt Sinner’s momentum, Zverev nearly lost his sixth straight game at the start of the second set. He pushed long forehand again and then a double fault gave Sinner two break points at 15/40, but the German calmed down to hold serve and regain his footing in the match.
Zverev seemed to have settled into his rhythm and he won the first break point of the match at 3-2, putting pressure on Sinner for the first time. However, the Italian hit an ace to the baseline while holding serve and then took advantage of Zverev’s poor serve to lead 4-3.
Sinner was typically precise on serve and was victorious in the 83-minute match, winning 83% (24/29) of his points on his first serve, according to Infosys ATP Statistics. He is the first Italian men’s singles player to reach the finals in the history of the BNP Paribas Open and has now entered the championship match in all six hard court Masters 1000 events.
“It’s kind of a game plan before the match, but it also depends on how I’m feeling,” Sinner said when asked about changes in the return position he deploys in response to Zverev’s big serve. “I think that was the key today, trying to mix it up. Every game against him is tough, a tough test, so I’m excited to face him. It’s a game I’m looking forward to.”
With the semifinals in Indian Wells, Zverev became the fifth player to reach the semifinals in all nine Masters 1000 events. However, the German heads into the Miami Open at ETA knowing he needs to find a way to crack the code of Sinner, who now leads the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series 7-4 after a sixth consecutive victory over his rival.
